


When Stars Go Dark

by Up_sideand_down



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Blood and Violence, Hearing Voices, Human Experimentation, Mind Control, Mind Manipulation, Minor Character Death, Puppet Cloud Strife
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2020-09-23 19:43:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20345656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Up_sideand_down/pseuds/Up_sideand_down
Summary: After Sephiroth went insane in the town of Nibelheim, nothing would be the same for Cloud Strife. After her mother's death, she's taken in as a ward of ShinRa...which just means they can experiment on her as they please. Little does she know that she is a successful test subject...especially for Sephiroth. For him, Cloud may be the thing he, and Jenova, have been looking for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The idea behind this is that Cloud is a puppet, not for Sephiroth, but for Jenova to take over and control. This was just an intro and I'm not sure if I'm going to continue writing it yet.

** Logbook: Nibelheim Laboratory.  **

October 1st: Specimen S retrieved from Nibelheim Reactor Core by SOLDIER Operative Fair. Specimen S non responsive. 

October 5th: Specimen S placed within mako container to maintain muscle mass and prevent atrophy. 

October 11th: Specimen S placed on standby and monitored for signs of life. 

October 28th: Specimen C received from outside laboratory. No parent consent necessary Specimen successfully placed under observation. 

October 29th: Specimen C temporarily escaped after feinting sleep, retrieved after 2 hours. 

October 31st: Specimen C underwent 1st wave J cell treatment. No mutations noted. 

November 10th: Specimen C temporarily escaped after hiding in cell. Retrieved after 3 hours.

November 19th: Specimen C underwent 2nd wave J cell treatment. No mutations noted. 

December 2nd: Specimen C underwent 3rd wave J cell treatment. No mutation noted. 

December 13th: Specimen C temporarily escaped after attacking employee. Retrieved after 12 hours. 

December 16th: Specimen C underwent 4th wave J cell treatment. No mutation noted. 

December 17th: Specimen C unresponsive for 24 hours. After successful resuscitation Specimen given choice of food. Specimen chose Double Bacon Cheese Burger. 

December 25th: Specimen C temporarily escaped. Retrieved after 1 hour. Allowed to keep second stolen burger. 

January 12th: Specimen C underwent 5th and final J cell treatment. 

January 25th: No notable side effects visible in Specimen C. Complete J cell cloning successful. 

February1st: S and C missing. 12 Staff dead. Send reinforcements.

* * *

Cloud ripped herself out the the grip of the man holding her. The second stumbled as she kicked out at him, but he didn’t let go of her waist. The first regained his balance and got a hold of her wrists again. 

“Let me go you mother fucker!” Cloud screeched out. When she left the floor again she screamed for all she was worth. Most of the people down in the secret lab rolled their eyes. Every time she escaped it was the same thing: Let me go, you can’t do this, I’m not a specimen! The reality was Claudia Strife died and Cloud Strife was now their ward…so yes…they could do this. 

She made such a fuss that no one looked to Sephiroth, still locked in a mako chamber unmoving for months. As Cloud was dragged by, eyes slit open. They followed her to her own operation room. As his room calmed down, Sephiroth’s eyes slid shut again. 

No one noticed the smirk when her screams died down. 

* * *

Cloud woke up hearing glass shatter. She felt so bleary with the chemical restraints. She could only pull weakly at her physical ones tying her to her bed. She closed her eyes when the alarm began blaring. She groaned pulling more at the straps around her wrists.

Then she heard the screams. She tugged harder. What the hell was happening? The door slammed open. She went limp, instincts screaming at her to just play dead. 

Someone begged for his life. Claimed he just did as he was told. Then there was gurgling. She tried not to shake, not to whimper. A hand buried into her hair…then it started on her wrist cuffs. One was off…and then boots were stomping down a hall. She sat up moving fast, the world still off kilter. She tore her left cuff off and scratched at her ankles until those gave way. 

Her knees gave out when she first stood…but it wasn’t her knees. It was her feet sliding on the floor…on the blood there. She did whimper then, not looking at the body. Her legs struggled to move, still shouting at her to freeze and stay put. But she made it too the door. 

There was carnage. Her eyes strayed to a long scratch in the rock wall, like from a sword. She heard the boots again. She only saw a flash of him…but she knew. 

Sephiroth. 

And she just knew. Her legs got with the program. She needed to run. 

She ran. Down the hallway faster than she ever ran trying to escape. She pushed passed someone else trying to get away. She knew where the stairs were. There were holes between some of them, but if she could just get up them…

Then he was there. Cloud’s vision went black and white. She tried to stop, to turn back. Her legs gave out beneath her and she fell to her back. She started to crawl away, slipping and sliding on the floor, her eyes unable to leave the bloodstained tip of his sword. He slowed as he approached, but then his posture changed. And he was gone. 

She heard more screams behind her and she was back on her feet. She skidded into the staircase. She heard those boots behind her. She went up two, three, even four at a time. She couldn’t look behind, she just had to make it. 

She screamed when boards broke under her weight, clinging to the steps above her, clawing her way up by sheer will alone. She was gasping for air when she got to the door. A glance below. Green eyes staring up at her. She threw herself through the door and slammed it shut. A board was in her hands wedging it shut. She crawled to the corner. She realized she was sobbing. 

She wasn’t sure how long she sat in that corner. It might have been minutes, it might have been hours. She didn’t know. 

Her legs shook when she climbed down the main staircase in the Nibelheim Manor. She’d gotten this far before. It was just 800 feet from the front door to the mayor’s house, Tifa’s house. She could make it. She could get help. She realized she had actually torn the bed restraint off the rail when she escaped. It was still hanging on her wrist. She waited for any sound at all. The door opened with such a loud creek…but the snow outside was pristine, untouched. It was nearly a straight shot into town. She could see her house from here. She ran, practically stumbling, through the snow, almost sobbing at feeling it burn her bare feet. 

Then she hit a wall. No, not a wall. 

He was here. Somehow he got out, he was here. Towering above her a vision of black and white. 

She fainted before he laid a hand on her.

* * *

There were flashes. 

He was carrying her, like a bride. 

Through the caves. Up the mountain. 

Into a reactor. 

Cloud was looking up into his face, blood still splattered across it. Then she was looking at some sort of…shrine. 

A woman. 

Then she was kneeling in front of a tank. There was something in it, something long dead that shouldn’t be here. It stared back at her, giving her nothing, yet at the same time making her feel like something wanted to crawl it's way inside her. Only his hands were holding her up. 

“You’ll be reborn mother,” he said in her ear, “then we can be together.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud finds what Sephiroth wants from her...and it's not Sephiroth who wants anything.

The room was dark. It smelled musty, earthy. She couldn’t quite make out the shapes on the ceiling as her eyes adjusted. A loud creak made her realize they were floorboards. She was in a basement. 

Then the aches and pains began. Everything just hurt, not sharply, but a dull unending thing. It made her want to close her eyes again. 

She heard someone else sigh. She froze. Dared not move, eyes searching all over for any light to see. 

She saw the flames before she realized he was sitting close to the makeshift fire in what once was a boiler. He sat crosslegged, but seemingly at ease. More at ease than she had ever seen him. 

Sephiroth. 

She tried to keep her breathing calm. Tried to think if him chasing her had been real or a dream. Tried to think if any of this was real at all. Sephiroth paid her little mind, simply going back to his sword. She tried to look for a way out without moving. Without him noticing. 

All too soon he was standing up. Cloud closed her eyes. She heard him sheathing his sword. Tried not to whimper when she heard him stepping closer on the dirt floor. Then the sound of metal on wood. Resting his sword against the wall. 

A hand took hers, turned it over and took her pulse. He didn’t read it long, mostly seeming to check that she was still alive. 

“I’ll be back soon mother,” he said, “We’re out of provisions.” 

She heard him going up steps. She opened her eyes and was able to see in the blinding light that they were in a storm cellar. 

Then the door shut and she heard chains locking it shut. 

“Oh…fuck,” Cloud said.

* * *

It took several minutes before she was able to move. Part of it was fear, but the rest just felt like something that was holding her down. She rolled first. Landed in dirt. Then she was able to push herself up on her knees. She crawled to the steps, climbing up them. Sephiroth needn’t have bothered chaining it, she could barely open it, but she could peer out. It looked like an abandoned farm, it had been empty for a while. One of the houses halfway down the mountains maybe. She couldn’t hear cars. She sat back, breathing hard. 

Using the steps she got to her feet. She shuffled towards the boiler, the only light in the room. She felt it’s warmth a few feet away. She realized she was shivering. She held her hands out to it. She took a deep breath, then another, then another. 

When she stepped back she had more focus. She could get out. The cellar door could not be the only way in. There were rooms above her, she could get out that way. She still moved slowly, but now with more purpose. She felt along the wall. It was brick, but it was still sturdy. She almost fell when she found the first gap. Just an alcove in the wall, for storage. She kept moving, trying to get an idea on what was down here. 

Her foot it the step first. Her heart jumped, but she didn’t get her hopes up yet. She counted as she went up. 1, 2, 3, 4. her headache came back and she groaned and leaned against the wall. She took another step. 5, 6, 7. She had to stop, pressing at her temples but that didn’t ease anything. 8, 9…10…11…12. She felt the doorknob. She took another deep breath. 

She pushed it open slowly, then stopped. 

A string was tied to something on her side…truss on the support beam. Sephiroth laid traps. For her?

But it was inside the door. It looked like he was laying traps for someone trying to get in, not out. But that told her enough. There were traps, and she didn’t know where the rest were. Going down was easier than up. She continued to go around the room until she reached the outside door. 

If she was careful…maybe she could sneak out when he came back in. She heard a gurgle and held her stomach. 

Gods she was hungry.

* * *

She felt him more than she heard him. She just knew he was here. She chose not to think about it. She hid by the steps, her headache coming back. She closed her eyes when the doors opened, not wanting to be blind when she tried to run out. She kept her eyes on his boots when she opened them. He stopped for a moment when he didn’t see her in the bed. 

It was now or never. 

Her food barely touched the bottom step when he legs gave out of her. She fell, her hand able to touch the grass outside. She tried to pull herself through, even though she knew that he knew. 

He didn’t grab her so much as lift her. He wasn’t harsh about it, but he still carried her back to the mattress. There were three boxes and a drink container. It smelled like coffee. 

“Mother?” Sephiroth asked. Cloud stared back at him. 

“It is Cloud?” he asked. She stayed quiet. 

“Are you Cloud?” he asked. 

“Why do you know my name?” Cloud whispered out. 

“She told me,” Sephiroth said, “I have explicit instructions to take care of you.”

“You killed people,” Cloud said, her voice wavering. 

“No.”

“I watched you kill them,” Cloud said. 

“No Cloud, those weren’t people,” Sephiroth said, “Those were monsters.”

“One of them brought me food,” Cloud said, “he was nice to me.”

“They were brainwashing you Cloud,” Sephiroth said, “they locked you in that basement and experimented on you hoping to make you exactly like me…and then have you do whatever they wanted,” Sephiroth said, “that is what monsters do. I let them do it to me and they were already doing it to you.”

“I want to go home,” Cloud said. 

“We can’t,” Sephiroth said, “they’re already looking for us again. If we leave we’ll be caught.” 

“I want my mom,” Cloud said. Sephiroth grew quiet at that. 

“I brought food,” he said. He set one box down and opened another for himself. Pizza. From a gas station it looked like. She didn’t touch it. 

“I bought it,” he said when Cloud didn’t move, “I don’t kill everyone.” She didn’t move. 

“You haven’t eaten in a day,” Sephiroth said, “Eat it or I’ll feed it to you.” She opened the box. She started to peel of the pepperoni. 

“You need the protein,” Sephiroth noted. She decided to ignore him. She didn’t like pepperoni, protein or not. 

It seemed he was bluffing about force feeding her, because he let it go. 

He opened the third box after finishing his slice. Donuts. Chocolate ones, two cream filled. He devoured two in quick succession and then offered the box to her. 

“Save one for breakfast,” he said. She decided to savor her cream filled one. 

He moved back to the boiler, apparently bored of taking care of her. Cloud decided to just roll over on the mattress. 

“We’re on the move again tomorrow,” he said. Cloud didn’t respond. Sleep came far too easily…but she was grateful none the less. 

* * *

Voices. She recognized Sephiroth’s…but the woman…

“You should be nicer to her,” the woman said, “she’s been locked in a secret laboratory for months.”

“I was raised in one,” Sephiroth said, “and she’s old enough to take care of herself. I was her age when I was sent to fight a war.”

“She wasn’t raised to fight a war,” the woman said, “and she is just a child. And so were you. I never sent you out to fight a war, nor would I have.”

“I never said-“ Sephiroth started. 

“I didn’t say you did,” the woman said, “I’m simply saying that you expect so much of her. She’s only been part of us for so little. It’s a massive responsibility on her and she needs your support.”

“I know,” Sephiroth said. 

“And she’s not a burden,” the woman continued, “she’s resourceful and smart. She found your traps and decided not to trip them. Instead she tried to sneak out behind you…and she would have succeeded if I hadn’t stopped her. You need to give her the benefit of the doubt. She can take care of herself and she will…she just has to get used to the load on her shoulders. 

“Yes Mother,” Sephiroth said. 

“We’ll talk about this another time,” the woman said, “this argument is starting to wake her up. Let her sleep.”

And Cloud slipped into another dream. 

* * *

She jerked awake at the smashing noise.

“Shit!” That was another man's voice

She guessed those were the other traps up there. She jumped again when a hand touched her shoulder. 

“Stay here,” Sephiroth’s voice said. 

“Don’t,” Cloud pleaded. 

“They’re here to kill us Cloud,” Sephiroth said, “we’re out of time.” She heard muffled speaking up there…then unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. Sephiroth pulled her gently, maneuvering them under the stairs. His eyes were on the door and he looked poised. It opened slowly. 

And then there was a crack, and another man cried out. 

“Stay,” Sephiroth repeated and started up, unsheathing his sword. 

Cloud couldn’t do this again. It was bad enough in the secret basement, she couldn’t watch a bloodbath here too. She covered her mouth to stifle the noises she was making. Sephiroth paid her little mind, he was heading up. 

Then the other door banged. More of them out there. They would see her straight away right here. She hid by the door, where she hid yesterday. The door broke open and three more filed in. She waited…and this time he legs didn’t fail her. She was out. 

Then her arm jerked back. There was a click. and metal bit into her wrist. A redhead in a blue suit attached the other handcuff to a pipe on the ceiling. 

“Female secured,” he said, “Take down Sephiroth.” And he left her there. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Cloud said. She tugged uselessly and then looked at the pipe. It was old, nearly rusted through in a few places. She reached by the wall behind the door and found a rock. She fumbled for a moment. She struck once, twice…then it broke before she hit it again and she tumbled outside. She scraped her hands on the gravel driveway and took off running. This wasn’t a half stumble through the snow this time, this was a sprint. She was getting away this time. 

She heard someone scream, “No!” behind her before a loud bang and a searing heat passed by the side of her face. 

The were shooting at her. 

“Do not take out the female specimen!” someone shouted, “just Sephiroth.” Cloud slid behind one of the trucks parked there hiding behind one of the tires. She peered out. The house was full of shouting…but no one was out here. 

She moved up still watching carefully, then something caught her eye. 

The keys were still in the ignition. 

She jumped in, feeling for the break, the gas, and the clutch. 

“Just like Mama’s truck,” she told herself, “this is just like…Mama’s Truck.”

* * *

Reno wiped at the blood under his nose as he waited for Tseng to pick up. He didn’t wait for the greeting. 

“Yeah, this was a fucking clusterfuck,” Reno said, “Sephiroth was ready. Had a bunch of noise traps and booby traps. I had the girl for a second and then some fuckin’ _nitwit_ had the bright idea to start shooting at her, and you can guess how Sephrioth felt about that…we got three dead before he took off after her.”

“I assume you wouldn’t be calling unless there was good news,” Tseng said. 

“Yeah, girlie girl stole one of the trucks and I hope to god Sephiroth isn’t far behind her,” Reno said. 

“Tracking it now,” Tseng said.

* * *

Cloud didn’t see anyone in her rearview mirror. She could see blood matting her hair, but it was just a graze. The shot missed. 

She had the hang of this. She hadn’t killed the truck engine yet. She could do this.

She looked behind her again and screamed. She slammed on the breaks as the truck nearly veered off the road. She didn’t want to look again, in case it was still there. But she also wanted so desperately for it to be a hallucination. She looked. 

The thing from the mako tank in Nibelhiem looked back at her. 

“My Cloud,” she said. 

“You’re not real,” Cloud said, “You’re not real.”

“Of course I am, Cloud,” she said, “But I don’t look like this.” 

“You’re not real,” Cloud said opening and closing her eyes again. The thing was leaning closer. 

“Cloud,” she said, “I’m as real as you are. But only if you let me. You got us far enough. Let me in.”

“You’re not real!” Cloud shouted. She could feel that thing's hands weaving into her hair, but it couldn’t be real. It was dead. 

“Cloud,” she said more calmly, “I’m real-”

“No,” she said, “I wanna go home. I want my mom!” The thing shook her head sadly. 

“Cloud,” she said, “I am your mother now. I’m not the thing you see in the mirror.”

“You’re not real!” Cloud screamed at it. 

“Oh no, Cloud,” she said, “I’m you.” Cloud cried out as pain spiked behind her eyes. She held her head in her hands. She glanced up and the thing was gone. Then she saw herself. 

She had it’s red eyes. 

She screamed again. They started to turn back to blue. 

“Let me in Cloud,” the woman said. 

“No, no, no,” Cloud started chanting. 

“Cloud, stop fighting me,” the woman’s voice said, but now she was saying it Cloud’s voice. Cloud could almost feel her clawing her way back into control. 

“No!” Cloud screeched at her reflection. She screamed again and held her hand against her left eye. It almost felt like a knife was being stabbed through it, but she pushed against the pain. She was pushing her back. 

She nearly fell out when he door opened. Sephiroth watched her fighting against what wasn’t there for a long passive moment. She was still screaming when he finally dragged her out of the cab. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud finally faces the thing in her head...while Reno gets closer and closer to his quarry.

Reno looked into the truck with a sigh. He knew it was empty before he walked up. It was so annoying of Sephiroth, making him have to do work like this. 

And Girlie Girl. He’d had her. She had been secure. Even if she got out of the cuffs he could have gotten to her again. It was the dumbass who shot at her. It all would have been fine if he’d stayed calm…instead of trying to kill an asset. Oh well. He was dead now so that was one less dumbass to fuck up Reno’s plans. 

There was blood on the drivers seat. Dried. She had driven longer and farther than Reno would have guessed. Made it harder to figure out how long Sephiroth had been carrying her on foot. And he had to be carrying her. Girlie Girl was still in her lab clothes…and that didn’t include shoes. Nor was it very warm. 

Reno climbed into the truck reaching across to the glovebox. ShinRa required up-to-date maps to be kept here. He sniffed as he unfolded it, searching for the nearest town. It’s where he would go if he had a poorly dressed girl without shoes and a head wound. 

Rocket Town.

Then he looked more. Reno never wagered anything on one bet. He took risks sure, but he made certain there were multiple risks. There were a few highway stops. Just a few shops, maybe a couple houses. They were more secluded. If Sephiroth knew about them they would be a safer bet than Rocket Town. 

He hopped out. Troopers looked more alert and nervous, now that three of them were dead. Good. 

“Five of you,” he said, “you, you, and…you three for sure. You’re coming with me. The rest go to Rocket Town, set up a perimeter and wait for further instructions. If you see Sephiroth shoot him on sight. If you just see the female asset…contain and secure. If one of you fuck shitting nitwits so much as bruises her you’d better hope I shoot you before Sephiroth finds out.”

* * *

Cloud was shivering. Sephiroth had set her down again, either listening or trying to get his bearings. Or just stopping to make sure she didn’t barf on him. It was getting close. That pizza wasn’t sitting well anymore. 

Part of her, the part that was too terrified to really care anymore, wanted to tell him she could walk perfectly well. 

_He moves faster though, Cloud, and you don’t have shoes. Let him carry you._

She clamped her hands over her ears even though it did nothing to stop the voice. _Her _voice.

“Shut up,” she started, “shut up.” And then Sephiroth had scooped her up again. Trees flew by in a blur and she felt her stomach twist again. 

_You’ll be alright Cloud, just a little farther. _

“Nnn,” was all she managed to get out. 

* * *

The first of the rest stops was clearly abandoned. The signs by it had since burnt out. The vending machines had some snacks that were discontinued at least 5 years ago. The bathrooms were locked. Reno checked anyway. It would be a clever place to hide. He had the doors knocked down. 

Empty, didn’t even smell like shit in here, just dust. They hadn’t come to this one. 

“Back to the transport,” Reno said, “Eyes open unless you want to end up like your friend back at the farmhouse.” 

* * *

Cloud gasped when she was hit with a blast of warm air. Sephiroth set her down on tile floor. 

A bathroom.

“Let me talk to mother,”Sephiroth said, holding her shoulders. 

“No,” Cloud said, trying to shy away, “Get her out of my head!”

“Cloud I need a plan and I need to talk to mother, let her talk to me.”

“Leave me alone!” Cloud said. She felt sick. She broke away from Sephiroth to run for a stall. She very regretfully said goodbye to her pizza from last night. Once she finished she broke down. She hadn’t cried like this in so long. The sobs physically hurt. 

Sephiroth stood outside the stall. He said not a word. He barely moved at all. She felt her mouth moving without her control. 

“_Get her some new clothes while she calms down,” _It wasn’t Cloud’s voice though. 

“SHUT UP!” Cloud screeched out. Then Sephiroth moved. His hand covered her mouth. 

“You have to stay quiet,” he said, his voice now hushed, “ShinRa is looking for us. If they find you…they will take you back. You’ll go back into a cell. They’ll keep up the experiments until they turn you into something like me. You need to keep quiet and stay here. And if they do come looking…hide. If not for Mother’s sake…then for your own. Is that clear enough?” Cloud didn’t move when he released her. She couldn’t read his expression. 

“I’ll be back with new clothes for you…maybe a vehicle,” he said, “Stay put.” He paused for another long moment. Then Cloud heard him unbuckle something. She jerked up and away in time to see him shrug off his coat. He draped it over her shoulders. 

And then he was gone. 

She shivered once more and reluctantly pulled the coat closer around her. It was warm.

* * *

The second had more traffic around it. But Reno had his doubts. It was the first real one off the highway and if he was looking for a place to regroup and hide this would not be it. Too many people, not enough supplies. 

He was still thorough, checked in all the obvious places and a bit in the not obvious ones. He picked up a map of the region from a rack nearby, scanning for a town or something close by. He was looking more specifically for a park. 

“We have better ones in the truck,” one of the troopers said. Reno folded it over. 

“Not ones that have recreational information inside,” he replied, “I always liked playgrounds…and I bet Sephiroth likes them too.” The trooper didn’t respond. 

“Get the others and get outta here,” Reno said more coldly, “make sure you’re ready this time. I’m feeling lucky.”

* * *

Cloud crawled out of her stall after flushing her vomit. The bathroom was empty, but it had a heater. The tile was still cold though. The sinks were older, but they had a hot water tap. She turned one on, holding her hand underneath the stream until it warmed up. 

She tugged at the hem of her gown until it started to tear. She got a good washcloth sized chunk of out it. She’d honestly prefer a real shower, but it would do. 

She scrubbed at the graze on her forehead. The blood still stained her hair brown but it she could see it was just a scratch. She wrung out the washcloth and started rubbing down her neck and arms. She kept glancing at her eyes…trying to make sure they stayed blue. 

_I’m not trying to take over you Cloud. _She froze refusing to look up. 

“You’re not real,” Cloud said, “You are a hallucination.”

_That’s not very nice, Cloud. _

“I don’t care,” Cloud said, “I just want you to stop…talking.”

_Why do you talk to your mother like that?_

“You’re not my mother,” Cloud said, “My mother’s name was Claudia Strife. You’re not her.” That shut her up for a moment. 

_I’m still in you,_ she spoke again, _my cells have merged with yours. The only people left in the world who are like you are me and Sephiroth. We are a family of sorts.”_

_ “_Well I don’t want to be!” Cloud snapped. She looked up without meaning to. Her heart stuttered at what she saw. 

Her reflection stared intently back at her…but it wasn’t her…it was _her_. She was looking at herself far too intensely. Then her reflection looked down at her hands. Cloud backed away from the mirror, terrified that her doppelgänger would…walk though it. 

“_Oh Cloud,” _her reflection said, _“I understand. I really do. This is a hard thing to adjust to and I know you didn’t volunteer. Sephiroth didn’t either, but this cannot be undone.”_

“This can’t be happening,” Cloud said. 

“_It’s not really,” _the mirror said, _“I am in your head. I’m in you. We’re one and the same and we’re different at the same time. Only one of us can control this vessel at once.”_

“What do you want with me?” Cloud said. 

_“Nothing,” _she said, _“I want us to survive. That’s all.”_

_ “_Why are you trying to take control of my body,” Cloud said, she realized her headache had come back, “Stop it!” It bled away instantly. But instead of snarling, the mirror Cloud smiled brightly. 

“_I kept trying to tell Sephiroth you were smart,” _she said, “_You can feel it when I do that?” _Cloud winced and held her temples as she tried again. 

“Yes I can feel it, if fucking hurts!” Cloud said. It stopped immediately. 

“_I’m sorry,” _she said, “_I expected Sephiroth found me a less…interesting vessel. You’re a daughter beyond my wildest expectations.” _

“I’m not your fucking daughter!” Cloud said, more vehemently. 

“_You really have much more of a fighting spirit than I anticipated,” _the reflection said, smiling quite viciously, _“you could make the world tremble at your feet.”_

“I don’t want the world!” Cloud snapped out, “I want to go _home!”_ And her reflection nodded without her. 

“_Once we find it…you will,” _she said, “_Right now, nowhere is home. This bathroom is the closest thing we have.”_ And Cloud wanted so much to snap back, but it all hit her. Everything she had been denying hit her. 

Sephiroth emerging from the manor, lighting the first house. Her mother grabbing her hand and both of them running to the caves to hide. Hearing men coming and the cock of a rifle…and her mother screaming for her to run…

Her knees gave out and she sobbed, finally grieving after months of hoping for someone to come and save her. The Nibehiem she had tried to run to was some fake one rebuilt after the fires…and her mother died in the caves in the dark and alone.

She didn’t have a home anymore. 

* * *

Sephiroth was cautious when he entered the bathroom. He knew Cloud was here, and mother too, but he couldn’t tell if anyone else was with her. She was sitting on the ground beneath the sinks, face still red and puffy, but her face mostly dry…had she really been crying this entire time?

“Get dressed,” he said setting a pile of clothes in front of her. He’d stolen them off of various clothes lines. The shoes were from a wilderness store close by along with the jacket. Cloud stopped looking across the room to glare at him. He knew it was Cloud. She didn’t say a word as she stood up and walked to a stall. He scoffed when she locked it a bit more violently than necessary. But he started to change as well. His clothes were good for combat, not wilderness survival…and they were easy to spot. They had to blend in. 

“I’m not a goddamn walkie talkie,” Cloud said suddenly, “I’m not gonna pass messages between you two. Go jump in his body, I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“Your current cell structure is more adaptable to mother’s needs,” Sephiroth offered, “I would take them…but it can have radical mutations.”

“Oh thank you so much for letting me be the one who mutates,” she said drily. He was fairly certain it was sarcasm. 

“It’s unlikely for you,” Sephiroth said, “mother’s cells are too new in your body. Nothing will likely happen unless it’s forced out of you. I don’t understand it completely, but mother will adapt to your body without forcing her will on it. It’s what she wanted.”

“Will you just shut up,” Cloud said, “You’re distracting me from these buttons. I didn’t know that was possible.”

“You asked,” Sephiroth said. 

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Cloud said and then she sighed, “She says she wants you to make a plan with me.” 

“Why?” he said. 

“Because I’m apparently smarter than you think,” she said. He didn’t like the feeling in his chest at that. He’d felt jealousy before, but not quite this strongly. He would absolutely let mother into him so he could talk to her at will…instead of just through Cloud and the occasional times mother was able to take control. 

“She’s…weaker than she thought she would be,” Cloud said again, “Being in total control is exhausting, she hasn’t had a body in long enough…you were going to take control of me and you didn’t even know how long you could?!”

“Cloud,” he started, “let me talk to her.’

“She says I know basic first aid and how to drive a car,” Cloud said, “and neither one of you know that.” Sephiroth kept quiet. 

“I see her point,” he said, “very well.”

“What is your plan?” Cloud said. She was sitting on the toilet to pull on her boots and lace them. 

“Work our way to a bigger city, to blend in,” Sephiroth said, “more people means more to sort through.”

“Okay how are we getting there?” Cloud said. Sephiroth didn’t respond…something was off. 

“You don’t know,” Cloud said. 

“Shh,” he said, “do you hear…” _Truck. Military Grade. _

_ “_Stay here, keep quiet and hide,” he said, “If they find you. Run. Head north through the woods if you can. I’ll find you later.”

* * *

Cloud heard the doors slam. Heard yells to search the area. Heard more shouts as they saw Sephiroth. She moved quickly to a stall, it knocked against the frame as it fell shut again. 

_“He will lure him away and then we can sneak out…see if you can start their truck again.” _Cloud ignored the voice in her head, trying hard to listen to what was happening. Deep in her gut she knew Sephiroth was right. They weren’t here just for Sephiroth, they wanted her back. The redhead called her an asset, which meant she was worth something. And that something would land her back in a cage in a secret lab. 

She held her breath when she heard the door open. 

* * *

Sephiroth dodged the bullets easily enough. He’d done it thousands of times during the war with Wutai. But he knew something was wrong when the troopers weren’t pursuing him as closely as he expected. He looked again. He was missing the Turk. 

Cloud…Mother…

* * *

“I really hate the bathroom cliché,” Reno said, “so why not come out Girlie Girl?” His only response was the heater coming back on. He sighed. 

“They said you were a runner,” Reno said, “Three…four escape attempts. Heard you got out a few times too. You can’t run in here.” He spared a glance beneath the doors. Gods above she was being annoying if she was here. 

“Look I got better things to do than play hide-and-seek with your sorry ass,” Reno said, “I won’t hurt ya…unless you make me.” Still nothing. 

“Goddammit, I hate this,” Reno said, pushing open the first stall. Empty. 

“Heard you like Bacon Cheese Burgers,” Reno said, “Good taste. If you come out now…we’ll make a pit stop, just for you.” Second stall empty. 

“If you’re in the fuckin’ one on the end,” Reno started, but didn’t finish. The third door flew open and smashed into his face before he could. 

* * *

Cloud jumped from where she had braced herself in the stall and ran. She had kicked that door as hard as she could and she was damn well going to use it. She burst out of the bathroom and started to skirt around the truck still idling close by. She heard the door slam open behind he as she started back towards the woods. 

Pain blossomed in her side. Her muscles seized and she fell to the ground. She felt the tell-tale head pain that said the thing inside her was trying to take over. She apparently couldn’t do anything either. 

The redhead wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve. 

“It was a very good try,” he said, looking more calm than angry, “but playtime is over.”

* * *

Sephiroth felt mother’s aura change. He always knew where she was…always, but instead of a pull, he felt a push. Mother was trying to warn him to stay away. She was trying to keep him safe. 

But if that meant Cloud and mother were captured, how could he?

* * *

Cloud knew when Sephiroth was close. Even in the dark, in the cage in the back of the truck, she knew he had come. 

“Sephiroth, don’t” she whispered. She wasn’t sure if it was her or…mother, but she willed him away anyway.

“Sephiroth I’m the bait,” she said, “don’t fall for it, don’t…I won’t get out if you fall for it.” She despaired when the doors opened and Sephiroth was there, sword and all. 

“Go!” Cloud said, “Go before-“ Sephiroth didn’t scream or yell. It was just a soft grunt. But he leaned heavily against the bed of the truck. 

“No!” Cloud said, “no, no, no.” Sephiroth couldn’t climb up, instead he leveraged Masamune against the door and levered the lock off. Cloud pushed out. 

It was like a bear trap. It closed around Sephiroth’s calf, but it had a strange green aura around it. 

“Run Cloud,” Sephiroth said, “you have mother…you have to run.”

“But-“

“I am replaceable,” Sephiroth said, “mother is what matters. Take her and go.” He saw her eyes flash violet before returning to blue. Then she ran to the woods. 

* * *

Reno sighed when he saw Sephiroth fighting with the sleep trap in front of the empty truck. Goddammit this girl was either brilliant or lucky…or both. 

“Director Scarlet came up with it,” Reno said, keeping a safe distance, “Some more SOLDIERs went a little of kilter…nice way to stop them. After it closes the Sleep Materia activates and all. Takes a while, but all we have to do is wait. 

Sephiroth lost his balance and put one hand to the ground to support himself. Another trap sprung up from the leaves and clamped around his forearm. 

“We weren’t sure how many it would take to put you down,” Reno said, “especially after the house. I’ll give you until we track down the girl.” He turned to the troopers. 

“You four with me,” he said, then pointed to the last trooper, one who had held his head so far “you stay and watch him. The traps will keep him down and weakened…so long as you don’t get too close enough for him to hit. Stay and watch him. We’ll dispose of him later.” 

* * *

Cloud ran. She could feel herself crying, but knew it had to be the mother Sephiroth kept trying to talk to. She didn’t hear a pursuit yet, but it had to be coming. She was the one they wanted. 

But it was hard to concentrate through this godforsaken tears. 

“Get a grip,” Cloud hissed, blinking fast, “We have to…I have to…” 

_I can’t outrun them, _she thought to herself, _they have a truck and I’m outnumbered. They are going to find me. I can’t hide in these woods…but can I lose them?_ She saw the tracks she was leaving behind her in the dirt. She stepped up on a tree root. It was precarious…but it didn’t leave a trail. It was harder to run and balance. She could hear talking coming up behind her, but they hadn’t seen her. 

She lost her footing and fell, catching herself on a stump. One hand caught the edge, the other broke through the rotten cover. She blinked then pulled. 

It was hollow inside. She looked back seeing a flash and made her decision. She lifted the half rotted lid and climbed it, propping it up…and held her breath. 

* * *

Reno kept his eyes moving. The woods looked lively at their appearance, a fox and several birds flying away. But no girl. 

Reno was willing to be she was from around the region. She knew woods. He didn’t. 

“No bacon cheese burger for her,” he muttered. One of the troopers paused at a stump. He tapped it once with the butt of his rifle and then moved on. Reno sighed. 

“This sucks,” he said. 

* * *

Cloud waited. She waited several long minutes after the footsteps and voices faded…just in case they were still close. She stood carefully and peered around. 

The woods were still. She felt another tear drip down her face. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slapped herself across the face. 

“Listen,” she said, “stop crying and help me focus.”

“_We’ve lost Sephiroth_,” the voice said, “_We will not be far behind him._”

“He’s not lost yet,” Cloud said. She wasn’t sure if it was that thing’s influence or just the stark reality of what she was trapped in, but she had made her decision. 

“I am going back for Sephiroth,” she said, “and you can either get a grip and help me or get us all captured.”


End file.
